Information for Consultants & Parents

André Valente de Souza, Class of 2025

“Hello, André Valente de Souza está cursando o segundo ano do Maine Central Institute e é natural do Rio de Janeiro, Brasil. André é um dos alunos mais atenciosos e envolvidos do campus da MCI. Sua atividade favorita é participar do time de futebol masculino, o que ele tem feito nos últimos dois anos e continua a jogar futebol o ano todo com seus amigos. André faz parte do Clube de Diversidade Cultural, do Clube de Teatro, do Clube de Aventura ao Ar Livre, do Key Club dedicado ao voluntariado e muito mais. Ele é membro da National Honor Society, que reconhece alunos exemplares de todo o país, e é um aluno embaixador da escola."

“Acho que gosto muito da equipe daqui, os professores e as pessoas que trabalham aqui são muito bons e os alunos são pessoas muito legais. Morar aqui para mim foi assustador no início, eu estava com medo de morar sozinho e de sair do meu país pela primeira vez, nunca tinha ficado mais de uma semana sem meus pais. O primeiro dia foi assustador, mas no segundo dia eu já estava me divertindo muito com o pessoal do dormitório, porque a equipe estava fazendo um trabalho muito bom para que eu me sentisse confortável e os outros alunos internacionais que moravam comigo eram extremamente simpáticos, sem exceção. As instalações do dormitório para que os alunos não fiquem entediados são muito boas, e os outros prédios, como as academias, são ótimos e cumprem sua função. Gosto muito de fazer parte de uma equipe esportiva; na minha antiga escola, no meu país, eu não tinha essa opção, parece quase profissional e de alto nível. Se houvesse uma palavra que eu usaria para descrever a MCI, seria a palavra confortável. Acho que esta escola nos dá muito, há algumas coisas na MCI que eu realmente não entendo como eles conseguem, eles nos dão mais do que merecemos e eu realmente apreciei meu tempo na MCI.”

Peter Xie, Class of 2024

My name is Tianquan Peter Xie, and I’m currently a senior at Maine Central Institute (MCI). I’ve been studying and living here for two years, and I’ve had many special experiences and feelings. Now, I want to share why I chose MCI, my experiences here, and some advice for future students. I chose Maine Central Institute because it excels both academically and athletically, offering a variety of courses and extracurricular activities. My parents wanted me to learn and grow in a well-rounded environment, so they sent me here. The international student community has also given me many unique experiences. I love the diverse course offerings at MCI. The teachers here really care about the students and are willing to spend time helping us succeed, not just in the classroom, but also outside of class and in the dorms. Additionally, MCI offers a wide range of extracurricular activities and clubs, allowing us to develop our interests and talents outside of academics. I’ve participated in wrestling, basketball, gardening club, 3D design, and the jazz band, among other activities.

Studying and living at MCI has helped me make great progress both socially and academically. The diverse environment has allowed me to meet friends from all over the world, broadening my horizons. Academically, the challenging AP courses at MCI have improved my study skills and self-discipline. Moreover, the various activities and resources provided by the school have helped me discover new inter- ests and talents, preparing me for college.

I hope future MCI students understand that this place is not just for studying but also a platform for comprehensive development. Here, you can find your interests, make friends from around the world, and build a solid foundation for future adventures. I’ve had many unforgettable experiences at MCI, with some of the most meaningful ones being attending the school prom and Halloween celebrations. The prom was a special moment where we all dressed up in beautiful outfits, danced, took photos, and had an unforgettable evening with friends. During Halloween, we dressed up in various fun costumes and participated in the school’s celebrations. These activities not only allowed me to experience the diversity of American culture but also helped me make many friends, increasing my social skills and confidence. The school offers a variety of activities, allowing me to experience many different cultures and traditions.

Francesco Lorenzo Marielli, Class of 2024

“Hello, my name is Francesco Lorenzo Marielli, I’m a senior at MCI and I’m from Italy. This school is special especially because of the connections I’ve made with the people and the friends that I’ve made in the dorm... a lot of the friendships I’ve made here are stronger than the ones back in Italy. Also the lessons are more active, you can interact and talk to the teachers and there’s more connection with your classmates in group settings. I think this is what makes MCI really special. he dorms are great because you have to interact with all types of cultures, and I think this process helps you grow a lot as a person. Coming from another country, you have all of your habits and perspectives, and coming into the dorm and having another person living with you helps you grow. You also have to grow up and take care of yourself by washing your clothes and taking care of the dorm. I think these things are all important in becoming a great person. Days spent with my friends are really the best thing about MCI, doing activities off campus like going to the lake or just hanging out in the cafeteria. I think MCI has a lot of great teachers, and they really work hard to make sure you grow as a person and learn new things. We have a lot of sports that some schools don’t have. We have good dorm parents that understand a lot about what you are feeling or what you are going through, it’s just a great place.”

Saho Fukuyama, Class of 2027

““Hello, I’m Saho Fukuyama, I’m in Grade 9, and I’m from Japan! What I like about MCI is that the teachers are very supportive. When I first came here I didn’t speak much English and could barely understand anything, but the teachers kindly helped me if there was something I didn’t understand and explained everything clearly. When I accomplished something, the teachers would often praise me which made me want to work harder. here are students of many different nationalities at MCI, so talking to them also helped me grow and I learned a lot of interesting things that I didn’t know before. They really inspired me. Before I came here I didn’t really know what I was good at or what I liked to do, but by studying at MCI and talking with wonderful teachers I was able to clarify what I like and what I want to learn more about. Because there were people that supported me with all their might, I am really grateful to the teachers and classes that let me find what I enjoy. MCI will give you the opportunity to meet many different people and grow. It is an environment that will support you when you work hard or do your best.”

Minhyeok Kim, Class of 2024

“Hello, My name is Mino Kim, I’m a senior here at Maine Central Institute, and I’m from South Korea. I think MCI has a really strong sense of community. Everyone is very supportive of each other, the teachers are always doing their best to help students and students are always trying to help one another. I really enjoyed Physical Education (PE) at MCI because PE in Korea is playing basketball or volleyball in the gym, but here it’s more about exploring the outdoors of Maine and I really liked that. Before I came here I was a bit worried because there’s so many people from different cultures and backgrounds living in one building... but now that I think about it, it’s more like family. It’s more like my brothers are living with me, we hang out and play games every night, it’s just a lot of fun. Cross country is the first sport that I’ve ever really done in my entire life, and it was fun to be able to travel to other schools and go against other kids in Maine. I would rec-ommend any student to play a sport or get involved in other activities. I was also part of math team where we went to the state competition, and it was a good experience. Before I came here I wasn’t used to all these opportunities, and it’s just a lot of fun.”

Yeseul (Ashley) Hwang, Class of 2024

“Hello, my name is Ashley, I’m a senior at Maine Central Institute and I’m from Seoul, South Korea. What I like about MCI is the community here, the people are really kind and nice to each other and I also really like the fact that the teachers and the dorm par- ents are really supportive. They are always willing to help and these are some of the traits that make MCI so special. Studying at MCI challenged me since English is not my first language. I was really worried about it when I first came here, but with the supportive teachers I was able to learn things really effectively. Our school is well equipped in many aspects, especially clubs, activities, and sports that provide students with many different opportunities. Living at MCI helped me grow socially by experiencing diverse cultures. It was a great opportunity for me to meet new people with diverse backgrounds and helped me broaden my perspective. Every day at MCI has been special for me, since I never thought that I would have lifelong friends from different countries. I have met wonderful friends from around the world, and it’s been a very unique experience for me.”

Hein Nanda Kyaw, Class of 2024

“Hello, my name is Hein Nanda Kyaw, I’m a senior from Maine Central Institute, and I’m from Burma or Myanmar. If I could sum up MCI in one word, it would be community. I feel like MCI has a very tight-knit community where everyone is willing to help each other out... everyone is willing to give a helping hand to those who need it, and that’s what makes MCI so special. On the academic side I think the teachers are willing to go above and beyond to help you and take that extra step to explain something and making sure you understand, which is especially helpful in a language that you’re not always proficient in. The one memory from MCI that still stands with me is before the school year starts, all the dorm students get together and go to the lake or beach and go tubing, swim, play volleyball, and just hang out. That was the one core memory that I really have with the residential community here. If you’re considering MCI and you find yourself on campus, get involved in as much as you can, I promise you one way or another you’re going to have fun.”

Sandra Thuyvy Janiec, Class of 2022

“Hi, my name is Sandra, I am from Poland with Vietnamese parents. Being Polish and Vietnamese helped me relate better with so many international students at MCI. MCI was my home for three years, and I loved everything about it. From the friendly and supportive friends in the dorm and in school, I had the opportunity to study and participate in so many interesting activities like skiing, hiking, shop- ping, movies, ice skating, playing sports, and many more. My teachers at MCI were always supporting and caring and helped me achieve my academic goals. The MCI community was wonderful to me and
I will have some family members coming to join me at MCI in the future. No matter where I am, MCI and my friends here will always be my American family."

Jaime Requena, Class of 2025

“My name is James, I’m from Spain, I’m 16 years old, and I’ve lived at MCI for two years now. When
I came to MCI for the first time, I was a little bit worried about myself because I didn’t think I could meet a lot of people because I’m a little bit shy... but then because it is such a small place, you can de- velop better relationships with people. Every day after school it was just hanging out, laughing, just fun things in general. One of the classes I enjoyed most this year was Mr. Robinson’s physics class. I love Mr. Robinson, he is the best teacher and explains everything well, and he makes the tests from the things we really learn in class. One other thing I love from MCI are the sports. I love playing soccer, we have three months of season which is just going to practice every day and playing soccer with your friends and cre- ating better relationships, that’s one thing that MCI really makes special. One advice that I would give is that you don’t have to worry about being a new student because the fact that you live in a dorm, you are going to make friends in the first day that you stay here."

Al-Amin Machira, Class of 2026

“Hello, My name is Al-Amin Machira, I’m a sophomore, and I’m from Tanzania. I love MCI because the environment is very great, people are so friendly here. There are events that are so different from schools back in my country... back home we don’t do many trips to the mall for shopping or to other cities, but here we get to do so much. The academic experience at MCI is defined by the teachers, the teachers here teach very well. I love science and biology especially because of the teachers. I really like the art and design classes as well because you can express your own emotion and views by putting yourself out there and creating something from your own mind. The guys in the dorms have treated me like family and I’m very thankful that MCI has given me that experience. The first night I arrived I thought it would be just me alone and no one would be there for me, but I really like my dorm parents and they’ve helped me a lot. Even in the middle of the night they are still there to help me. Winter Carnival really stood out to me because when I first arrived, everyone was cheering for me and really involved me to try things, and that really touched me. MCI makes you feel like you’re home, as a dorm student they want to make you feel like you’re with your own family and they want to support you in whatev-er you do. For my friends back home if they wanted to come here, I would tell them to come and really see this place and how they treat you.”

Mehmet Berke Baran, Class of 2024

“Benim adım Mehmet Berke Baran. İkinci sınıftan beri (10. sınıf ) MCI’da öğrenciyim. Bu üç yıl boyunca, farklı uzmanlıklara yol açan çeşitli dersleri keşfettim ve çok çeşitli spor ve müfredat dışı etkinliklere katıldım. Kapalı ve açık alan atletizminin yanı sıra arkadaşlarımla bir badminton kulübü kurmak için MCI’ın spor tesislerini kullandım. Ayrıca, MCI’ın yerel kolejler/üniversitelerle ortaklıkları aracılığıyla okulda sunulan AP derslerini ve diğer üniversite derslerini aldım. Hem öğrenci hem de yurt konseylerinde görev yaptım ve okulum için Ulusal Onur Topluluğu bölümünün seçilmiş bir üyesiyim. Ayrıca, Model Birleşmiş Milletler ve Youth in Government gibi konferanslarda MCI’ı temsil ettim. Tüm öğretmenlerimle kurduğum öğrenci-öğretmen ilişkileri beni en çok etkileyen şey oldu. Bu sıkı sıkıya bağlı mentorluk, öngörülebilir gelecek için beni bir birey olarak gerçekten şekillendirdi. Kabuğumu kırmama, olgunlaşmama ve bağımsız olmama yardımcı oldu. MCI’da aldığım yarım dönemlik ekonomi odaklı bir ders sırasında, konuyu daha fazla takip etmek için ilham aldım. Ertesi yaz, üniversitede Makroekonomi dersine kaydoldum ve bu sayede Youth in Government konferansında Devlet Haznedarlığı pozisyonunu elde ettim. Bu deneyim üniversite yolumun çizilmesinde önemli bir rol oynadı. Buna ek olarak, yıllar içinde edindiğim uluslararası arkadaşlar, artık dünyanın neresinde olursa olsun temas kurabileceğim duraklar olarak hizmet veriyor. Kampüse ayak bastığınızda, kurumunzengin tarihini ve sizden önce gelen uluslararası öğrenci kuşaklarını çabucak kavrıyorsunuz. Onların MCI üzerindeki kalıcı etkisi, mevcut uluslararası öğrenciler için hissedilebilir. Onların girişimleri fırsatların önünü açarak MCI’ı daha kapsayıcı bir alan haline getirdi."

Anastasiia Kravchenko, Class of 2024

“Hello, my name is Anastasiia Kravchenko, but everyone calls me Naya, and I’m a
senior from Vinnytsia, Ukraine. What stands out to me about MCI is that it’s a very open campus, I can go out and have fun with my friends and with other international students. I’ve met with a lot of people from Korea, China, and even another student from Ukraine, so it’s more about friends and experiences here. I really like the courses we have, you can choose what courses you want by talking to your academic counselor to choose your future or current year. I told my counselor I wanted to be a doctor and a surgeon, and they set me up with the AP classes I needed to be competitive when applying to university. Coming into MCI, I was most worried about the dorms and how I would live here, but I was surprised by the dorm parents who are helpful and act as our guardians. When I came here everyone wanted to help me even though I was shy about my English. Once I joined athletic teams I made more American friends and got to experience other schools outside of MCI. I joined Model United Nations where we traveled to New York for three days and it was such a big experience for me and it was so fun.”

Dang Do Nhat “David” Tran, Class of 2027

“Hello, My name is David Tran, and I am a junior from Vietnam. This was my first time leaving home, and I was very happy and excited to come to Maine to meet new friends and improve my English in a new environment. I’ve made friends from Spain, Korea, Japan, Germany, a lot of friends from all over the world. We play pool and cook together in the kitchen in the dorms, and sometimes we just spend time talking to each other and getting closer.

My favorite class right now is AP Physics, I really enjoy the science classes here because we have multiple experiments every class and it’s helped me learn quicker and in more exciting ways. I’m a member of Outdoor Adventure Club, we’ve gone hiking and biking across the state and we have another trip this weekend, I love spending time outdoors. I really look forward to pursuing the sciences even more, especially computer science. I want to get into a top university, and I think MCI is helping me achieve that.

I have so much fun and have had a lot of great memories so far, but I think one of my most favorite would be our prom where we spent a lot of time dressing up and having fun at the dance. The dorm life is really why I came here, it is multicultural and I get to teach others about my culture while learning about others, it’s a great time."